America’s Muslims

Muslim Americans are far more assimilated and integrated into their adopted country than their counterparts in Europe, according to the first survey conducted of America's 2.4m-strong Muslim community.

The survey, which was carried out by the Pew Research Center, one of America's most respected polling groups, found that Muslim Americans were just as likely as the rest of the population to agree with quintessential American attitudes about hard work and opportunity.

Seventy-one per cent agreed with the statement that you "can get ahead with hard work", compared with 64 per cent of the population. Forty-two per cent rated their personal financial situation as excellent or good, compared with 49 per cent of Americans in total. Only 2 per cent of US Muslims are in the low-income bracket, compared with 22 per cent in Britain and 18 per cent in France and Germany.

Likewise, Muslim Americans were strikingly in line with the remainder of the US population in their attitude towards Israel, with 61 per cent believing a "way can be found for Israel and Palestinian rights to co­­-exist" compared with 67 per cent for the American population as a whole. This compared with just 5 per cent in Morocco and 23 per cent in Pakistan.

The survey suggests, by the way, that we should be less worried about Muslim immigrants than about native-born converts. It turns out that in the US, radicalized Muslims are most likely to be young and black.

The American Spectator Foundation is the 501(c)(3) organization responsible for publishing The American Spectator magazine and training aspiring journalists who espouse traditional American values. Your contributions are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. Each donor receives a year-end summary of their giving for tax purposes.